Depeche Mode – Strangelove

Released in 1987, “Strangelove” was the first single from Depeche Mode’s sixth studio album, Music For The Masses. Written by Martin Gore and produced by the band with David Bascombe, the song combines a pulsating electronic rhythm with synthesizers, sampled percussion and a striking vocal performance from Dave Gahan. It represented a more polished, accessible side of Depeche Mode while retaining the darker themes that had increasingly characterised their music.

The lyrics explore the contradictions of love, desire and emotional dependence, with Gore presenting relationships as something that can be both pleasurable and painful. Lines concerning pain, pleasure, sin and forgiveness deliberately blur the boundaries between physical attraction and emotional vulnerability, giving the song its provocative title and atmosphere.

“Strangelove” proved unusually difficult to complete in the studio. Alan Wilder recalled that the band repeatedly reworked the arrangement, changing the bassline many times and removing substantial amounts of percussion before settling on the final form. The single was also mixed before the album was completed, with Daniel Miller subsequently contributing to the version that appeared on Music For The Masses.

Anton Corbijn’s memorable black-and-white video was filmed on Super 8 in Paris, combining atmospheric locations, the band and stylised imagery. It established the visual language that would become closely associated with Depeche Mode throughout the late Eighties.

The song peaked at No. 16 in the UK charts on 16th May 1987.